Signs Point to a Blistering Summer in Northern Continents

The heat threatens to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring

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WASHINGTON - In northern China, road surfaces have soared to 70 deg C. In California's Central Valley, temperatures are reaching above 37 deg C. Across much of Spain, the mercury has risen so high that it is prompting warnings for tourists.

Weeks before the official start of the Northern Hemisphere's summer, signs are emerging that the coming months will be blistering in North America, Europe and Asia.

There is even a chance that the season could shatter global high-temperature records, said Dr Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

The scorching conditions threaten to tax power grids, wilt crops and send energy prices soaring across three continents.

Hot and dry weather is also elevating the risk of wildfires, with blazes already erupting in Alberta, the epicentre of Canada's oil industry.

The human and economic consequences are dire: Extreme heat is expected to inflict about US$200 billion (S$257 billion) in annual losses in the US alone by 2030, a number that will more than double by 2050, according to one estimate.

All three northern continents face sweltering temperatures fuelled by climate change - particularly the western and central US and Canada, as well as western and northern Europe, Dr Swain said.

Because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, these regions will also see areas of intense rain and flooding, he said.

"I'd expect to see further instances of extreme to record-shattering downpours and flood events in regions prone to heavy precipitation during the warm season," Dr Swain said.

In the Atlantic, the heat is raising ocean temperatures, boosting the odds of an unusually active hurricane season.